COMMUNITY NEWS BRIEFS: Better Together awards, student art designs and transportation safety awards.
Better Together staffers with the Doing Good Together honorees. [Photo courtesy Better Together]
Better Together honors community partners
Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, recently honored its North Central Florida volunteers, supporters and community partners during a reception at the Country Club of Ocala.
As a privately funded, volunteer-driven nonprofit, Better Together relies on the support of donors, community partners and volunteers to provide services to families across the state. Each year, the agency hosts a series of Doing Good Together receptions in its six regions to honor the efforts of these individuals and organizations.
The local honorees included:
• Host Family of the Year: Laura and Thomas Gerds
• Champion for Strong Families: Straight Line Construction, Dan and Deanna Eckhard
• Community Partner of the Year: Interfaith Emergency Services
• Church Partner of the Year: Church of Hope, Rev. Mark Cummins
• Department of Children and Families Partner of the Year: Amy Cook.
• Mentor of the Year: Tinslie Pickett
• Super Volunteer of the Year: Alecia Randolph
• Staff Appreciation Award: Tara Williams
“Our Better Together team is so grateful for the donors, volunteers, partners and advocates who stand in the gap and support us in fulfilling our mission,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together, in the news release. “These groups and individuals are the reason we are able to transform lives and help our community flourish. It was an honor to recognize them for their generosity and unwavering support this year.”
Student art designs showcased
Madison Street Academy student Ashvira Patel and her design. [Photo courtesy FDOT]
FDOT collaborated with local art teachers to engage students in designing their own bike safety symbols. The winning designs were painted on local roads or sidewalks near the schools. Now in its fourth year, this District Five initiative gives young artists the opportunity to see their designs come to life, the news release stated.
Each student winner was recognized during a bike lane artwork reveal event, which included a certificate presentation and a safety session led by FDOT and its community safety partners. Families and school staff joined to recognize the students’ creativity and commitment to safe cycling.
The local student winners were Madison Street Academy’s Ashvira Patel, in 1st grade, and Emma Martin, a 5th grader.
Student Emma Martin and her design at Madison Street Academy. [Photo courtesy FDOT]
FDOT safety summit
The Florida Department of Transportation District Five in May presented transportation safety awards and discussed efforts by local governments, transportation organizations, law enforcement, advocacy groups, schools and FDOT to improve safety on local roadways at the 2nd Annual Central Florida Safety Summit.
More than 250 people from 70 organizations attended, representing the nine counties in District Five, 31 cities and towns, 15 public safety agencies and the five Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Transportation Planning Organizations serving Central Florida.
Among the award winners was the Ocala Marion Transportation Planning Organization, which received the Outreach Award for its Safety Matters initiative and video series, which is a community-driven effort to promote roadway safety across the county.
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